


From Heaven to Earth

by BrownieFox



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, John Returns, Post 9x18
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-26
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 19:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1523675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrownieFox/pseuds/BrownieFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John was dead. And then he wasn't. Something has caused him to come back to Earth with no memory of what Heaven was like. Now the Winchester brother's have to deal with their dad on top of Metatron and Abbadon, not to mention whatever it is that brought him back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I had been dead, really I had been. But Metatron just had a way with words. While terribly written, his story brought me back to life, breathing energy back into my nearly grace. It actually wasn't a lot of energy, but at least I was alive. Of course, there was one drawback. I was brought back in stories, and in stories I was stuck. Book, movies, TV shows, I could travel through them, but I wasn't able to return to the real world. At least I was able to get away before Metatron realized I was back.

There was a way for me to gain more power, however. Each time people read the book I was in, watched the TV show I was currently 'acting' in, I got a little more power. I think it has something to do with how people tend to worship TV shows and stuff, but all I care about is the power it gets me. The sudden burst of power can be hard to handle at times, though.

Like that random spark that flew off and hit a poor soul in Heaven.

I winced when I saw the dead person being forced back to the world to living. I should probably clean up my mess… and maybe Luci with bake Mikey a cake down in the cage. I had more important things to worry about at the moment. So I continued to draw in power, pushing the fallen soul to the back of my mind.

The Winchesters would just have to deal with having their father back

*JOHN*

I breathed in a deep breath as I abruptly came to consciousness. The last thing I remembered was coming out of the gateway to Hell. Then, I thought I went to Heaven, but my memory was drawing a complete blank from that point forward. The area around me looked like an explosion went off right where I stood. In fact, upon closer inspection of the area, I noted that the place looked like there had been 2 explosions, one having happened before mine, possibly a while ago.

The place was littered with cars, a collage of different models and brands, like a car grave yard. The majority weren't in working condition. Whether they had arrived here like that or the explosions had caused it, I don't really know, nor do I care. A few of them weren't too badly damaged, and I selected a dark, slightly rust pick-up truck as my mode of transportation. I easily hotwired it and drove it out of the gates to the yard.

As I left, I didn't see the dusty sign that read 'Singer's Salvage Yard.'

I drove until I found a familiar road and recognized that I was in Sioux Falls. I thought about maybe going to Bobby's but decided against it. I needed to figure things out first, sort through some things. And just randomly showing up was sure to get a bullet in my head. No, I had to sort out something's first, get some information.

I found my way to a Hunter's bar. I had only been here once before, that was enough to know I could get some reliable information here. As I entered, I noticed the date on the newspaper someone was reading. April, 17, 2014. 20freaking14. I had been dead for 8 years now. This might end up being harder than I thought it would be.

After hustling some pool from some younger Hunters (I was low on money) I sat down at the bar and ordered myself a beer. After quietly drinking for a few seconds, pin pointing who might have the info that I was trying to get. I decided on the bar tender himself. I'm sure he's heard just about everything that everyone in here has had to say.

"So, any news?" I asked in my best non-chalant tone. The bar tender snorted.

"Besides the fact that we're probably entered yet another apocalypse, not much." That was news, but not what I wanted, so I filed it away for later.

"What are they saying the cause is?" I needed to get him talking, try and loosen his lips and make him comfortable.

"When had the cause ever been different? Something about the Winchesters and their new friends, a big mistake, and something to do with the surprise meteor shower not too long ago." The Winchesters. So my boys were up to no good.

"Heard anything about their where about?" I took another swig of my beer.

"No, but Garth says he saw them recently." The bar tender gestured to a sort-of mousy looking man sitting a few stools down. He was wearing a normal Hunter's attire, and a chair sat around his neck. Whatever was on the chain was hidden beneath his shirts. "He might know somethin'."

Taking his advice, I went over to the considerably younger looking Hunter. I sat down next to him, and he looked over at me, smiling good naturedly.

"This a common stop for you in between hunts?" Had to start up a whole new conversation. Garth shook his head. My Hunter instincts were ringing slightly being around him, but I shrugged off the sensation. They were probably just telling that he was a Hunter, and thus a force to be reckoned with, no matter what his appearance was.

"Nah, I don't Hunt much anymore. I'm just goin' around to my favorite places, checkin' on my friends, taking some time off from my wife." His eyes widened at the last sentence. "Not that I don't love my wife or anything, just that-"

"Hey, I get it." I reassured him. Garth relaxed.

"Well, I'm Garth. If you ever need anybody to do phones, I've lately taken up doing that again. I stopped for a while, but I'm back to doing it." He offered, and I shook my head.

"Nah, thanks for the offer though. I'm actually trying to get some information." Garth nodded.

"Let me guess, Winchesters?"

"Yeah, actually." I was a bit taken aback that he knew what I wanted.

"Everybody wants to know about them. Who wants to know?" He was suddenly suspicious. Protecting his friends. I could respect that.

"A friends of their dad's." I wasn't about to tell this stranger I was the dead John Winchester.

"I get a 'friend of their dad's' in every town I stop in." Garth cocked his head. "You're lying. I can tell. But you know what, you seem nice enough. I can sm-" He stopped himself abruptly, like he had come close to making a slip up. "I can just tell. I'll tell you what, I know of somebody that has had contact with them recently. Rumor has it she even know where they are. Here," Garth reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece, taking a pen and jotting down an address. "She's doing a Hunt here. If you move fast, you might catch her. I'm going to warn you, though, she's a tiger mom."

"Thanks." Garth nodded and I got back up, downing the rest of my beer and heading back to the truck. So far, finding Sam and Dean was going to be a major goose chase. As I drove down the long, darkening the road, however, I though back to what the bar tender had said. The Winchesters and their friends. I wondered just who their friends are. Probably just Bobby, maybe Ellen and Jo.

oOo

The paper Garth had given me also said what they were hunting (a vengeful spirit) and where the ghost was buried. A salt and burn was easy enough, so I headed right to the cemetery. Sure enough, when I got there, I saw a woman standing outside of an unearthed grave. She was finished spreading the lighter fluid over it and got out a match, striking it. Before she could drop it into the grave, the vengeful spirit showed up.

The woman, looking past her prime and Asian, was thrown backwards onto the grass, match falling from her hands and going out on its way to the ground. I started forward to help her, not that I had any weapons, when another spirit showed up. This one was also Asian and grabbed the vengeful spirit. The woman took this time to pull out a sawed off shotgun and shoot the spirit. With it gone, the other ghost went over to the woman, seeming to want to help her, but unable to.

She got to her feet and dusted herself off before grabbing another match, lighting, and this time successfully lit the bones on fire. The ghost stayed by her side and together they watched as the bones burned, the fire lighting up the woman's face and going through the boy. After a few seconds, she grabbed the shovel and started to bury them again, the dirt hiding them and their dark secrets. I was going to watch for a little longer, but the ghost turned to me, eyes narrowing at the tree I was standing behind.

"Mom," The boy called his mother's attention. So mom and son then, that would explain a few things. "There's someone watching us."

"Hope they're enjoying the view." The woman murmured, not pausing in her burying. "Why don't you bring him over here?" The boy nodded and the next thing I knew, and invisible force pulled me forward until I hit a tombstone, knocking the air out of me.

"Sorry." The boy said, wincing, and the force moved me around the tombstone and brought me a bit closer, until I was next to the grave. By this time the ghost was starting to flicker and looked to be in pain.

"That's good enough Kevin, you can stop now." The woman was now done with the final part of the salt and burn. She turned to me and looked me up and down. She had this air of toughness about her. "You'll have to excuse my son, he's still getting the hand of his new powers. Care to explain why you were spying on us, or are you just another demon. If you are, Crowley and I are going to be having words."

I had absolutely no idea who Crowley was. I got the feeling I was better off not knowing. I glared the ghost, who was staring at me intently. He had a haunted look about him – no pun intended – and I found myself wondering what he had done when he was alive. Kevin didn't quite if the look of a Hunter.

"I was told you had information on the Winchesters. I wasn't aware that you decided to keep your dead son with you. You know he's going to go vengeful like this, right? You have to burn whatever's keeping him here if you really love him." I folded my arms, and the woman looked at me like I was an idiot.

"You're really out of the loop, aren't you? Well, hate to break it to you Mr. Know-it-all, but ever since that 'meteor shower', spirits can't get to Heaven, they just get stuck in the veil. Who knows what trouble he'd get up to in there. At least this way I know how he's doing." The woman stated. "I'm Linda Tran, by the way. And you are?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Kevin spoke first.

"You, you're John Winchester." I was startled by the ghost talking and that he knew who I was. He seemed to take my reaction as confirmation. "You fit the description that I read in the Winchester Gospel. How are you here?" Winchester Gospel?! What the heck was that?

"You're John Winchester?" Linda said incredulously. "I need to talk to you about your boys. Do you know what condition they've been in? And the way that you raised them." Linda looked like she wanted to go into a long rant, but Kevin cut in.

"Mom, maybe later. John, how are you alive?"

"I don't know. I died one minute, and the next I'm alive again." Kevin gave an exasperated sigh.

"You need to get to your sons ASAP. So much has happened while you were gone." Finally, I was getting the answers I was looking for.

"Here." Linda handed me yet another piece of paper with yet another address. "This is where you'll find them." She gave me a very serious look. "I read the books. Those boys might be the reason why my son died, the reason why my life was turned upside down, but they're not just your boys. They're my boys too. And if you dare to do anything to them, I swear I will find you and bring you back to the veil myself.

I was being threatened by a woman I didn't know about my own sons. Barely hidden raged boiled through my veins. They were my sons, and this woman was not about to tell my how to take care of them. I went ahead and even told her so.

"They're my boys and you have no right to threaten me. You have no idea what I've been through."

"You have no idea what Sam and Dean and been through." Kevin spoke up again. "John, they aren't the same boys you left 8 years ago. Be ready, because they're in the middle of something huge. Don't say I didn't warn you." I didn't reply and just left. What did these people know about my boys? Nothing. Only I knew what was right for them, and that was final.

I stopped only at one hotel to refuel and recharge. I need to get to those two and see what mess they've gotten themselves in. The world around me was familiar yet so alien, and I needed to get a foothold. All of these new Hunter's that knew my sons weren't helping. Once I got myself back together and get back to the Job, maybe I'll check out this famous Winchester Gospel.

It was nice to be back in Kansas, and a part of me wanted to go and see the old house and what it looked like. Most of me was yelling not to go near the place my wife and burned to death. I ended up driving straight to the address. I got to my destination, and took in what the front looked like, a door surrounded by bricks.

I knocked confidently.

A minute or so later it was opened by Dean.

This is what I had been expecting: a gun to pulled and pointed at my temple, and knife to be drawn and dragged across my arm, holy water to be sprayed at me. I wasn't expecting a bear fist to make contact with my head. Before I blacked out, I had time to think that his firsts were a lot more solid than I remember them being.

I woke back up in what felt like a hospital bed. My clothes were damp and made me cold. The smell of soap lingered in the air. Groaning slightly from the pain in my head, I sat up, opening my eyes and looking at the room around me. I was in what looked like a miniature hospital. Sitting next to my bed was Dean, watching me.

"So, it's really you." He broke the silence. "You passed all of the tests. Holy water, silver, borax, I even cut you with both of the blades." I looked at my arm, and sure enough it was bandaged up.

"Yeah. I don't know how it happened, but here I am." Dean looked me over before getting up.

"I'm going to go make breakfast. I'll lead you to the main room. Sam should be back soon." I got up and followed Dean out of the room and into the hall.

"Where's Sam?"

"Out getting groceries." Dean led me to a small library with two long tables, both cluttered with notes and books. He turned to me again, and this time her threw his arms around me, wrapping me in a tight hug, like he thought if it wasn't tight, than I would disappear. When he pulled away, he went straight to another room, probably the kitchen. "Don't mess with the research."

I went over to one of the tables and looked at one of the open books. It was talking about Knights of Hell. What had my boys gotten into this time? At least now I was here to watch over them. I was about to flip through the pages of notes when the door at the top of the balcony opened and Sam came through, reading a list.

"I got beer, cheese, tomatoes, pie, hamburgers, coffee, salt, syringes in case Crowley shows up, a few leeks for your soup, a few more pies… and you're not Dean." Sam had reached the bottom of the stairs and only then looked up from the list he had been reading from. The bags in his arms fell to the ground as he pulled out a bright silver blade along with a flask. He uncapped the flask and threw it at me, some of the water splashing against my skin. When it had no effect on me, Sam drew back his arm. Just before the knife was thrown forward, Dean stepped back into the area.

"Sammy no!"

The knife was still propelled forward, but it just grazed my cheek, leaving a thin red line. Sam turned to Dean.

"Sam, I already checked. He passed all the tests." Dean soothed the still on edge Sam. Sam looked between me and Dean, another blade in his hand; this one had strange symbols carved into the blade.

"Did you call Cas?" Sam finally asked, and Dean nodded.

"He said he was on his way. He had to get away from the troop, of course. Can't have them knowing where our home is." While I was dealing with the fact that Dean had just called this place home, Dean noticed the dropped bags on the floor. "You dropped the pie?!

"No, Dean, I'm not that stupid." Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container holding a pie. Dean grinned and took it from Sam's hands. Sam looked back at me. "So it's really him."

"In the flesh." I replied. Sam ran over to me and hugged me. He had changed so much since I last saw him. His hair was longer, he had a bit more muscle on him, and his face was more of that of a Hunter, a little vicious and haunted. "Where are we anyway? You two both seem really comfortable here. You should know better than to get attached to one place for too long." I scolded them, but Sam just smiled and Dean even gave a bit of a laugh. I glared slightly, and they both lost the joyful looks.

"Sorry, sir." Dean's eyes were downcast, and something flashed in them that I couldn't see. "This is the Bunker. It used to belong the Men of Letters, an organization dedicated to recording information on the supernatural, but years ago all but one of them were killed off. The one that was alive traveled to our time in a desperate move to get away from a demon named Abbadon. She followed him here and killed him, but he gave us the key to this place before he died." Dean shifted somewhat uncomfortably. "His name was Henry. Henry Winchester."

Dean left back to the kitchen after that, and I sat down, taking in the news. Dean and Sam had met my dad. My dad had died in the future. He had known about what was out there. This place I was in had at one point been a base for a group of people my dad had worked with.

"He didn't want to leave you." I looked up as Sam spoke up, moving near me. "He tried to go back at one point, but Dean talked him out of it. He ended up helping us out." I just nodded.

"So what's happened since I was gone? From what I've heard, it sounds like a lot." I wanted some answers, and I wanted them now.

"It's… complicated." Sam's face contorted as memories ran past his eyes.

"Too bad. What's. Happened?" I demanded in my sergeant voice. It always made the boys do what I wanted, no matter how much they grumbled about it. Sam didn't even flinch though.

"Dad, how about we tell you at breakfast. Dean's almost done and I don't want to miss anything. And I don't want to say anything without Dean here." I was going to make sure they told me everything at breakfast. These boys were still my sons. They may have gotten off track while I was dead, but I was back here and it was time they got straightened back out, especially now that there was apparently an apocalypse nigh.

Sam went over to the other table and started to flip through the pile of notes and books, supposedly continuing whatever research he had been doing. His pen scratched furiously away at a paper as he added to the pages of notes. I didn't like sitting there in such an awkward way. To cure my rapidly settling boredom, I thought about what I last remembered. If my memory proved right, than the Yellow-Eyed Demon was dead. I would have thought that Sam would have tried for a normal life after that; that was all he had ever wanted. Yet here he was, caught up in an apocalypse.

"Come and get it!" Dean called, and Sam got up and led the way into the kitchen. Dean was already sitting at the small, circular table and eating some fried eggs, bacon, French toast, and orange juice. "Tried out a new recipe today. Hope you like it." Sam sat down in the second of the three chairs and started to eat, making pleasing sounds as he did so that made Dean grin. I sat down in the last sat and some-what cautiously picked up my fork, stabbing it into my French toast and breaking off a piece. I was surprised at how good it tasted. I had never known that Dean was able to cook, not that we had had many chances to do that.

"Now, I want you to explain what has happened since I've been dead. I can't be expected to go around not knowing what has happened over the last 8 years." I demanded. The mood that had been relatively light suddenly darkened in the prospect of having to recount what they had been though. They did that thing where they look at each other and hold entire conversations only they can understand. Dean sighed as if in defeat, and put down his fork.

"Well, right before we got to the gates of Hell, Sammy sort of… died. But we needed him, so I made a demon deal, his soul for mine. One year later, I was dragged down to Hell by hellhounds. Alistair tried to break me, and after 30 years, or 3 months top side, he did. For 10 years, I became a torturer. That's when I got pulled out." Sam and Dean shared yet another look, and Sam got up.

"I'm going to go finish off some more research." Sam excused himself. I would have snapped at him to sit back down if I hadn't been a bit paralyzed by the look on his face. It was one of pain and sorrow, and all of a sudden he was many more years older than he actually was.

"Let him go. He doesn't like to be reminded of this part." Dean looked at the doorway Sam had left through sadly.

"Well he needs to suck it up." I argued, and Dean gave me a dark glare. For a moment, instincts were screaming at me to run. This thing in front of me was far more dangerous than any monster I had ever come across. The look morphed back into one of sadness as quickly as it had come, and the feeling dissolved. I had no reason to fear Dean, he was my son after all.

"Dad, Sam's on edge as it is." Dean tried to explain. "Without having to see you when you hear about this, I don't know how much longer he's going to be able to last." Was Dean talking about… suicide? Was one of my sons contemplating taking his life? Didn't he realize that he had a job he was supposed to be doing? "Any way, back to the history lesson. I went to Bobby and Sam, and we discovered that what had brought me out of Hell had been an angel. Yes, angels are real, please save all questions until the end. After that, we found I broke the first seal to open Lucifer's cage and that the demons were trying to break the other 65. Meanwhile, Sam found out he had these certain… abilities, like exorcising and killing demons. The price was that he had to drink demon blood. It got to the point that he got addicted to the stuff. We tried to get him off it, got him going cold turkey, but an angel let him out of Bobby's panic room.

"He then went on this road trip with this demon to go and kill Lilith, this really powerful demon that had owned my soul. It was only after it was too late that we found out she was the final seal. I got there in time to kill Sam's traitor demon friend and watch as Lucifer's Cage was opened. We barely made it out with getting ourselves killed. We then found out that I was Michael's vessel and Sam was Lucifer's vessel. Armageddon started up with Lucifer out of his Cage, and we needed the four horsemen's rings into order to reopen Lucifer's cage. We were able to get both Michael and Lucifer back in." Dean wasn't telling me something, and he wouldn't if I asked. I'd just have to find out for myself. "After that, I tried to take a break from the hunting life. I lived the apple pie life with a girl named Lisa and her son, Ben, but it didn't last long.

"One year later, Sam, who had been still been hunting, came by needing my help. Crowley, the current King of Hell, and an angel who was somewhat lost, were trying to find a way into Purgatory. They even succeeded. But the angel turned on Crowley and kept all the power to himself, gaining a power that could have rivaled God's. It didn't last long, as the monsters he ate started to try and get free. We were able to get most of them back into Purgatory… except for the most powerful of them, the Leviathans. They were able to get out of the angel and take over people. They tried to bump human off from the top of the food chain, and they almost succeeded. But a friend of mine and I created a weapon that took out the head Leviathan, sending him back to purgatory. It also had a bit of a backlash, so the angel and I ended up stuck in purgatory for a year until we finally got ourselves out.

"Then this whole thing on tablets that held all knowledge on angels and demons started up. In the end, the same angel from purgatory made a grave mistake in trusting a rogue angel named Metatron. Sam and I had been trying to close off the gates to Hell by taking three trials. Metatron told this angel that he knew how to close off the gates to Heaven. The spell did close off the gates of Heaven, but it took angel's grace – his power – and caused all the angels fall. Witch brings us to what's happening this apocalypse. Angels are running loose and causing general chaos while Abbadon, a knight of Hell, is trying to take over Hell and cause general chaos. Just another day in the life of the Winchester's, I guess."

After that, Dean took a large swig from his beer. Sam seemed to sense that the conversation was done and rejoined us in the kitchen, eating the rest of his dinner. I noticed that he avoided my gaze, and I didn't blame him. I couldn't believe what he had done. Drinking demon blood? What was wrong with him? I thought I told Dean to kill Sam if he ever strayed and went evil. My glare went unnoticed by both Sam and Dean, though I doubted they really didn't know that I was sending it to them.

The day passed with little activity, and I amused myself by exploring the Bunker. And of course I didn't get lost so many times I lost count, or needed Sam to find me trying to open a door I thought led back to the small library (there was at least 1 other, far larger library). He had been getting me because it was time for dinner, and I wasn't envious at how well he seemed to know his way around the place.

Dinner was tomato soup. Not just any tomato soup, Dean pointed out before I was able to dig in, but homemade, prepared by hand tomato soup that he had been wanting to try out making. It was delicious. I had forgotten that soup from the can wasn't as good as other soups. It bothered me that they hadn't gone on any cases today, since that was our job, but a day off never hurt. I would make sure they were put to work tomorrow, though. There were people out there that needed saving.

After dinner, Sam and Dean returned to work. I was feeling tired again, I figured it was a small side effect from being brought back to life and having all this crap dumped on me. I was out in a matter of seconds, my last thought being that if I ever met that angel that was constantly mentioned in the story (I would need to get his name sometime) I would kill him for being such an idiot and causing the world so much trouble. I'm sure there would be those who would thank me.

I wasn't awake when the door opened and a new figure entered my room.


	2. Castiel and Cancer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John was dead. And then he wasn't. Something has caused him to come back to Earth with no memory of what Heaven was like. Now the Winchester brother's have to deal with their dad on top of Metatron and Abbadon, not to mention whatever it is that brought him back.

Okay, so I’m trying out writing in a different format. I’m hoping it’ll end up better.

oOo

John woke up, yawning and stretching. He had slept well. Better than he usually did. Maybe it was because he was in his own room for once, one that he wouldn’t need to share with other people. Whatever the reason was, it left him feeling refreshed and in a good mood… which quickly changed to one of alarm when he noticed the man standing right next to his bed, watching him.

John shot out of bed and grabbed the knife and holy water from the pockets of the jeans (he had worn them to bed). He shoved the strange man into the wall roughly, splashing holy water onto him. His eyes didn’t go black, but that didn’t mean much. It could be some other monster or a high-ranking demon. I pushed my knife, which was against his throat, harder into the thing’s skin. He didn’t so much as flinch as the blade just barely broke the skin, getting slightly red. The thing just tilted his head curiously.

The door to John's room burst open to Sam and Dean, who must have heard me shove the thing against the wall. They were tensed, Sam holding a gun and Dean holding a knife, alert and ready to fight. But as they looked between me and the being, they both relaxed visibly. Sam lowered his gun and Dean put the knife into a sheath on his belt. The thing was now looking at John’s two sons, the crease that had been in its brow now smoothed out, a small smile playing with his mouth at the sight of them.

“It’s just you Cas, we thought something was attacking our dad.” Though Dean’s voice held obvious relief, I didn’t move from my position. Dean’s eyes did narrow, though, as something occurred to him. “Cas, how long have you been here?”

“A few hours now.” ‘Cas’ replied, seemingly unperturbed by the crimson stream trickling down his neck or the fact that John was still giving him his best glare

“And how long have you been in my dad’s room?” Dean sounded somewhat exasperated.

“A few hours.” Cas replied again. “I was waiting for him to wake up.” Dean groaned and Sam looked like he was resisting the urge to laugh.

“Cas, we talked about this. You don’t watch people in their sleep, it’s creepy and a bit rape-y.” 

“Sorry, old habits die hard.” He admitted. That didn’t sound creepy at all. Dean simply shook his head.

“Dad, it’s okay, he’s on our side. Meet Castiel. He’s been working with us for a few years now.” Sam tried to reassure John, grabbing his arm lightly and giving it a slight tug to pull it away from Castiel’s neck. John consented, but his glare’s intensity didn’t lessen in the slightest. Castiel turned completely towards the two younger Winchesters.

“It is, indeed, your dad. He wasn’t brought back by any demon or angel, though. His soul is slightly bruised, as if he simply fell out of Heaven. Luckily, the damage is very little and only effects his memories from his time in Heaven.” Castiel reported, and John couldn’t help but to wonder who this man was to be able to tell that type of stuff.

“Hey, Cas, can I talk to you for a second?” Dean demanded more than asked.

“You are talking to me.” Castiel replied in confusion, than understanding seemed to dawn on him. “Yes, okay. I’ll be in the hall.”

John watched the two walk out into the hall suspiciously, wondering what it was that they didn’t want him to know. Sam called his attention soon after, saying that since they were up they might as well get some breakfast and continue the research, a Knight of Hell wasn’t just going to give away its location. John reluctantly left the room with Sam, as there wasn’t much else I could do. But after this, the secrets needed to stop if he was going to be a part of this team. John would be making some changes too.

For one, Castiel had to go.

aAa

Castiel and Dean stood in the hall, Dean seeming to try and find the words to say what he was trying to get said. Castiel waited patiently, something he had a lot of practice at, for Dean to tell him what was so important and what his dad couldn’t hear.

“I’ve told my dad about what’s happened the last few years. I told him about the angel that rescued me from Hell and became God and went to purgatory, who then lost his Grace in a spell that closed the gates of Heaven and caused all the angel’s to fall.” Dean gave me a meaningful look as he finished the sentence. “I didn’t tell him that it was you.”

“Why not?” Castiel cocked his head to the side, not really seeing why Dean, the ever-faithful son, would be holding back information from dad.

“I’m pretty sure he wants to kill you just because you’re around us. If he knew you were the one to make all those wrong choices, that would be multiplied a million times over, and if he knew you were an angel… my dad always saw Hunting in black and white. If it’s human, it’s good, if it’s not human, than you kill it. Basically, I’m trying to keep you off my dad’s hit list.” Dean explained as best he could. “So, if you could put on a human act while you’re here, that would really help me.”

Castiel thought about this for a moment. He could see the pros in it, and the cons could get dangerous. But he had never been one to travel the safer, easy road. Not since he met the Winchester’s at least. 

“Okay, I can do that.”

bBb

“So, how did you meet Castiel, Sam?”

John and his youngest son sat back in the library, which John was soon tiring of. He was just about ready to be out of this place. His sons were too comfortable here, too happy. It might have been harsh, but it was true. Very, very true. One of these days, this place was going to be destroyed, and it was best if his sons weren’t too connected to it and didn’t hurt with it gone.

“He came about the time that Dean was pulled out of Hell. He’s been helping us out since then. Castiel has been really helpful.” Sam insisted, knowing what his thoughts were on.

“I don’t trust him.” John wasn’t changing his opinion on the man, and it wasn’t going to change until he got to know him personally. And John had no interest in getting to know the man personally. If it were up to him, that Castiel guy would already be out the door and hopefully getting miles away from him and his boys.

Dean and Castiel entered the library and John was quick to take control of the room, getting all of their attention onto him.

“You boys need to do a case.” Castiel, Dean, and Sam all looked at each other, having no idea where this was coming from. 

“Dad, we need to track down Abbadon and find out where Metatron is, we have more important things to do than to take on a case.” Dean said clearly, hand subconsciously rubbing at his Mark of Cain on his arm. John noticed how Dean scratched at something under his sleeve, but just put it in the quickly growing pile of things that would have to wait until a more opportune time to be addressed.

“At this rate, you both will get rusty. I think that we should leave Castiel here and let him continue the research while we go on a Hunting trip.” John’s voice was commanding. Sam and Dean exchanged a look. After all they had been through, they didn’t think there was any way to get ‘rusty’. Hunting was in their blood and ingrained into their muscle memory. But this was their dad. They knew the consequences to disobeying orders. 

“You know what, why don’t you, Dean, and Cas go find a case, I’ll stay here and keep up the research.” Sam suggested. John didn’t like it. He had made it quite obvious just a few seconds ago what his thoughts on Castiel were. It was painfully obvious Sam was trying to get him and Castiel to spend some ‘bonding time’ together. While he wasn’t about to be moved on his opinion, he had never been good staying in one place for very long. If agreeing would get him out of this ‘bunker’, well…

“Sounds like a plan.” The oldest Winchester decided. He pulled the laptop that was on the table over to him, opening it up and getting ready to look up a case. He didn’t have to search very long. Dean, Sam, and Castiel hadn’t even had a chance to leave the room yet. “Have you boys been keeping up with the news?”

“No, not really.” Sam admitted. “Why?”

“Well, apparently there’s been a miracle going around.” John turned the screen over to the three boys so that they could see. The picture to the story showed a girl, not much older than 10 or 12, who had no hair grinning at the camera. She was far too skinny and pale, but looked incredibly happy. Clutched to her chest was a book, a child’s book in fact. ‘The Little Engine That Could’. “This girl survived cancer. They thought for sure she wasn’t going to make it.”

“Well, good for her I guess. Surviving cancer is good and all, but I get the feeling there’s more to this.” Dean gestured for John to go on.

“Apparently, before she died, she wanted to reread her favorite childhood book. The girl, Katie Webber, claims that an angel came out of the book and cured her. She no longer has the book any more, having passed it onto other kids, saying that was what the angel had asked her to do. Nobody knows where the book currently is, but if the sudden multitude of kids being cured of cancer is a sign of anything, it seems like it’s been getting around.”

“Sounds good. Why don’t you guys start moving out?” Sam suggested, causing both Dean and John to glare at him. John because he didn’t want to go on this hunt with a man he didn’t trust, and Dean because he didn’t want to stop looking for Abbadon and look for some weird cancer-killing book instead. Castiel seemed oblivious to both of their moods, nodding.

“I believe that the duffels are already packed. We could head out in a few minutes from now.” Castiel suggested, with the glares now aimed at him. 

“Good, have fun you guys. It’s probably a crossroad demon or something, if I had to guess.” Sam smiled at them like he was going to be killed any second from his family. And that’s how the Impala become filled with an awkward silence as Dean sat in the driver’s seat, John sat shotgun (which felt wrong for some reason) and Castiel sat in the middle of the back, the tension almost palpable.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Please review! Those make it all worth while!


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